Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, has revealed that certain bandit attacks in the state have been facilitated by local village and community leaders. During a budget participation event, Governor Radda shared a disturbing account of a village head who allegedly accepted ₦700,000 from bandits, allowing them to invade his village and kill 30 people.
Radda emphasized that paying ransoms would not resolve the ongoing banditry and instead announced plans to empower communities with training and resources to defend themselves before security forces can respond. He expressed disappointment in communities not confronting small groups of bandits, who often terrorize villages of thousands.
Governor Radda also disclosed that various groups, including some women, have been involved in collaborating with the bandits, with informants embedded within the local population.
He called for greater community involvement in resisting banditry, stressing that organized resistance could deter future attacks.
